


Beneath the Skin

by nan



Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-10
Updated: 2011-03-10
Packaged: 2017-10-16 23:09:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/170383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nan/pseuds/nan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eridan finds out John actually has blue blood. This changes everything. For the kinkmeme</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beneath the Skin

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the kinkmeme, the prompt was: John explains to one of the trolls that he actually HAS blue blood, it just turns red when exposed to oxygen (maybe pointing out where veins are visible beneath the skin).

“Don’t play your tricks on me, Egbert,” Eridan said. “I know you fuckin’ wwish you were blue blood but don’t try to pass yourself off as something you’re not, have some fuckin’ self-respect, gogdamn.”

“No, I’m serious,” John said and he held his arm out, palm up. “See my veins? That’s _blue_ blood in there.”

Eridan raised his eyes and grabbed John’s arm, pulling him closer as he peered down/ “That’s blue blood?” he muttered. “You’re a real fuckin’ blue blood?”

“Yep! But, well, it’s not really a big deal or anyth-”

“You’re not a fuckin’ ridiculous red blood?”

“Well no, but all huma-”

“Wwy didn’t anyone say anything to me about this before?” Eridan demanded. “You’re higher on the hemospectrum and yet you play around with _Kar_.”

John blinked. “Yeah, me and Karkat are bros,” he said, grinning at Eridan’s sneer. “Besides, it’s really not that big a deal. I mean, once oxygen touches my blood it turns red.”

“Fuckin’ really?” Eridan slid one nail across John’s skin and blood rose. “How fuckin’ obscene that blue blood turns to red when other people see it,” he said with a snarl.

“Yeah, okay, _ow_ ,” John said, struggling against his grip. Eridan stopped him, fingers tightening around his wrist.

“Maybe...it’s only to disguise your nobility?”

“I don’t think that’s it,” he said when Eridan stepped closer. “I mean, all humans do this. Well, _did_ this, I guess they don’t really do this anymore but...Dave, Jade, and Rose do it too!”

Eridan cocked his head to one side. “Really?”

“Yep! So it’s really not a big deal at all that my blood’s like this.” Shrugging, John tried to pull away again and froze when Eridan leaned down and licked at his blood, tongue dark and sinewy against his skin. He looked up at John over his glasses and for the first time, John thought he actually looked dangerous instead of just kind of weird. “Uh...Eridan,” he said. “Karkat said you threw yourself at everyone, is that what’s happening here?”

Eridan straightened, eyes wide in outrage. “That brinesucker said that?!” he asked. “That’s completely and totally not fuckin’ true at all, I’m going to kick his bone bulge up through his think pan!”

John grinned. “So you weren’t hitting on me?”

“Wwell I didn’t say that noww, did I?” Eridan said, pulling John closer, one hand going up to stroke his cheek. “I didn’t realize how well suited wwe wwere before,” he said, words going to a murmur. Unfortunately, he didn’t figure on human skin being so fragile and his claws skittering too sharply against John’s cheek.

“Ouch! Dude, please watch your nails,” John said, wincing away from Eridan. “Anyway, I’m totally flattered and everything but I’m not really interested.”

Eridan paused. “You’re turnin’ me down? Wwy?! Wwe are near each other in the hemospectrum and wwe get along wwell enough and I don’t wwant to fuckin’ kill you, wwich is alwways a plus!”

“Well, yeah but-”

“Wwhat exactly is the problem here?!” Eridan’s face was flushing purple, eyes narrowing.

“Well, I’m not really interested in guys like that,” John rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Eridan frowned. “Wwhat the fuck does that mean?”

“It means that I’m not interested in guys romantically. Or hatefully, if that’s where you’re going with this. Sorry, man,” John said with a shrug.

“That is the stupidest thing I’ve evver heard and I’vve hung out wwith Kar and Gam recently,” Eridan said. “Wwhat does my being a boy havve to do wwith anything?”

John blushed. “Well I mean-”

“Is this a physical thing? Do you havve something agaist sea-dwwellers’ anatomy?”

“What, no! It’s you know, the _male_ anatomy I have a problem with!”

Eridan glared at him. “Fine!” he turned away, fingers digging away at his scarf. “I _apologize_ for traumatizing you or wwhatver wwith my affections, John Egbert!”

“Aw, don’t be like that,” John said. “I mean, I turned Karkat down too-”

“Wwhat?” Eridan turned back to him. “Karkat wwas after you for matesprit?”

“No, he wanted the hate-y one, kismesis or whatever.”

Eridan stared at him for a moment. “But he failed?”

“Yeah, because of the whole ‘not being attracted to guys’ thing. Well, he also didn’t really try that hard, I guess.” John watched a smirk grow on Eridan’s lips and continued frantically, waving his hands in the air. “N-not that trying hard would have made a difference because like I’ve said like a million times already, I don’t like boys!”

Eridan’s grin widened. “Howw do you know? Havve you evver tried with a boy?”

“No-”

“Then you wwill try wwith me.”

“I will?” John took a step backwards and Eridan matched it.

“Yes. Wwhy not? I am of good standing and wwe get along. Do you...think I’m ugly?” Eridan’s composure seemed to wobble and John sighed, suddenly feeling like a huge jackass.

“No, you’re not ugly-”

“Then wwho better to try wwith than me?!” Before John could answer, Eridan tilted his head and kissed him, tongue immediately slipping between John’s lips and exploring his mouth with too much enthusiasm. It was sloppy and Eridan’s fangs nipped at John too frequently and too hard to actually be pleasant but when Eridan pulled back, John was dazed and panting slightly, fingers clutching at his scarf.

“Wwell?” Eridan asked and John realized that the hand not pressed against his back was still gripping his arm, thumb rubbing against the blue veins that started this whole thing in the first place.

Taking a deep breath, John let it out slowly before nodding. “Okay. I’m...I guess I’m willing to try,” he said, voice faint and shocked.

“ _Really?_ ” Eridan said before blinking rapidly and nodding. “I-I mean, of course you are, I’m a vvery good persuader, it’s one of my many talents.”

“Yeah, okay,” John said, recovering quickly and grinning. “Whatever you say, Eridan. Uhm, this is totally bad timing I guess but I promised I’d watch some movies with Dave and Jade so...”

“Wwe wwill hang out later then?” Eridan obviously _tried_ to make it sound like a demand but it ended up more like an obnoxious plea.

“Well, yeah. There’s only sixteen of us living in the veil, doofus,” John said and laughed when Eridan’s face flushed purpled again. “Anyway, I’ll catch up with you later, okay? Is there...” he cleared his throat. “I mean, is there anything I need to do for...this?”

“No, I wwill take care of evverything!” Eridan said, already planning how he would thoroughly seduce John. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss on the corner of John’s mouth. “See you later, John,” he said and it would have been okay except that he _winked_.

John covered his laughter with a cough before nodding. “Okay. Bye!”

Eridan watched him go before taking a deep breath, a satisfied smirk on his face. He needed to talk to Karkat; there was some gloating he needed to get off his chest.


End file.
